Popular Culinary Traditions in Paris
When you visit the streets of Paris, you might just be blown away by the many delicious foods available. Parisian cuisine and traditional restaurants are popular with many people across the globe. From baguettes to the bistro, this is an excellent place to visit to stimulate your taste buds.
Basic Information to Know About French Food
If you are new to the idea of French food, you are in for a treat. Many foreigners don’t even have any idea what the traditional foods in France are. Anybody who is completely new to the wide range of local cuisines should check out this page describing what makes French cuisine so special.
Take Classes to Learn How to Make French Food
There are many baking classes in Paris, including a French bread and baguette class. Another popular option is a macarons class in Paris. Typically, classes will start and end within one day and teach you many different tricks of the trade. Depending on which class you choose, you can either learn about what you would find in a French patisserie, how to make your favorite main course, dessert, and so on.
Different Classic Cuisines
You shouldn’t travel here and expect the same food that you find in your home country. The food is unique and diverse. For example, you might find a restaurant menu which serves wonderful soups and appetizers, delicious bread and pastries, and various types of juicy meat and popular seafood catches. All prepared with a unique touch by one of the local chefs.
Many tourists are also blown away by the many different types of cheeses there. The country is home to several varieties of cheeses that are not easily found using online resources. In other words, this is one of the best-kept secrets. It is a popular dish which is served after meals with several different varieties.
Another thing tourists might find interesting about the food here is that raw meat is a popular dish on occasion. When prepared correctly, raw meat can both be very safe and satisfying to your hunger. As their local chefs would teach you, the right preparation for raw meat is crucial if you want to get the best experience possible.
How Daily Meals Typically Work in France
In France, many locals will eat a light breakfast which focuses on coffee (or another hot beverage) with a croissant or another similar pastry. They then save their appetite for lunch and dinner. One thing which is wonderful about the country is that lunch breaks will be around two hours long so that they can truly enjoy our meal and time off. Dinner is also about as long and has three courses (hors-d'oeuvres, main course, and then a final course which is either a plate of different cheeses or dessert).
Savory Hors-D’Oeuvres
There are many classic starter dishes that you will find at just about any restaurant in Paris. Many chefs will create their own rendition of the following recipes, making them difficult to get sick of. However, there are also endless starters which simply do not get the recognition they deserve. Regardless, here are a couple of France's finest starter dishes.
French Onion Soup
This is a classic recipe which balances cheese, beef broth, onions, and seasoning with bread on the side to create a delicious soup which is cherished all over the globe. Although this is typically served as a starter dish, it can also be made in bigger sizes to suit someone who only wants to eat soup as their meal. This soup, although savory, is perhaps more popular with tourists than the locals.
Escargots
This is a popular starter that was historically only eaten by the rich and wealthy. They are land snails which are normally cooked with a seasoning like butter and garlic and are typically rather small. As a result, you will need to eat a lot of them if you wish to have anything more than a starter dish of escargots. They are typically taken out of the shell after being boiled and then placed back into the shell for serving with flavored butter.
Only the Best Main Courses
Local main courses are a nice balance between local and foreign cuisines. There are plenty of dishes which have been kept in their tradition for centuries. However, there are also some main courses which were learned from France's friends worldwide. Here is a couple of the many main courses that were invented locally.
Coq Au Vin
This main course dates back to ancient times and is made with chicken, mushrooms, garlic, lardons, and wine on the top. When mixed together, it produces a perfect blend of ingredients which became a popular dish all across the modern country. It has since spread to other countries.
Steak Tartare
This is a bistro classic which really should be left to the professionals. Since steak tartare can be made with raw beef, it can be risky to make on your own. Although this might be served as a starter dish, it also serves as a wonderful main course.
Delicious Pastries
Pastries in this country are unlike anything else you can find anywhere else. There are tons and tons of different varieties of pastries that it is simply impossible to list them all. However, here are a couple types of pastries that everybody loves and enjoys on a continual basis.
Croissants
Croissants are a popular breakfast item. Since they are rather complicated for a beginner cook to make, many will buy them off the streets at local bakeries and dip them inside their coffee for breakfast. There are some which are served with butter, almonds, chocolate and so on. Since they can be adapted to many different types of flavors, they can also be a great part of any meal outside of breakfast.
Macarons
Made with soft cookie style shells pressed together onto cream to make a sandwich, some people travel to Paris just to try some of the macarons. They can be prepared to be fruity, sweet, minty, or really sort of flavor that you would expect. These are another treats which are perhaps more popular with foreign tourists than locals.
Baguettes for Everything
This is a classic bread-based product which has been kept around in French tradition for centuries. Since it so affordable and delicious, they use baguettes for just about anything. They can be a prominent part of any meal, and used for a wide variety of potential dishes.
Baguettes as a Side
A typical restaurant in Paris might serve unlimited baguettes for free. As a result, you should take advantage of this incredible deal. If you have some extra sauce on your starter or main dish, dip your baguettes in and enjoy every drop of your meal to the fullest extent.
Baguettes for your Sandwich
Baguettes are also typically used for sandwiches due to their long size which can easily be adapted to create a sandwich. You can serve sandwich with smoked salmon and avocados, for example, and just about whatever you want on the inside when you cut it open horizontally. Additionally, you could simply purchase a takeaway sandwich made with baguettes at various different restaurants in Paris.
Endless Types of Cheese
Much how there are many different French pastries, there are also countless different varieties of cheese. Since this is a delicacy very seriously taken here, you will find cheeses on local stores here that you simply cannot find in any other country. Most cheeses will be either pressed, soft, or blue. Here are a couple types you should consider trying if you travel to Paris.
Camembert
This is a soft type, which is almost like yogurt at the beginning of its transformation. Made with solely unpasteurized milk, camembert is unique and heavily worth trying if you are a fan of trying new recipes and food products. This has been a popular recipe for centuries and remains as one of the most popular in the country today.
Brie de Meaux
Once named the “king of cheeses” in 1815 by a cohort of European nations, this recipe is a French masterpiece. Made from cow milk which is aged a couple months or so, this is a popular brie cheese which can be easily spotted out by its white rind.
World-Class Alcoholic Beverages
Some of the best alcoholic beverages can also be found in France. Since these are popular things to have with a lunch and dinner meal there, they really do their best to craft world-class alcoholic beverages so that anybody who comes to Paris is blown away by the wide collection of tasty drinks. Here are a couple of drinks that you should absolutely try while visiting Paris.
Wine
They have been making wine for over 2000 years over there. As a result, many of the ancient practices first described by their distant ancestors have remained and spread throughout the globe. Of course, this is a popular beverage around the world with many different types and methods for making. However, it is regardless something that is heavily worth trying if you intend to visit.
Pastis
This is a spirit made in locally in the country. Wonderfully mixed together with licorice root herbs or mixing base, this drink has a unique taste. Although it is sometimes associated with absinthe, this beverage is not made from the same herb. They are also much different in the end composition. This is an excellent beverage that anyone should at least try.
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